noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈhɛdeɪk/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛdeɪk
CMU ARPABET:HH EH1 D EY2 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A pain or ache in the head.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, sciences
Examples
I have a splitting headache after that party last night.
I advise you to take some painkillers for the headache, it's probably nothing serious.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A nuisance or unpleasant problem.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
The clumsy filing system has been a huge headache.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
New York traffic is a constant concern
it's a major worry
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: concern, worry, vexation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: negative stimulus
Narrower terms: bugaboo, burden, load, encumbrance, incumbrance, onus, business
4
noun
Meaning 4
pain in the head caused by dilation of cerebral arteries or muscle contractions or a reaction to drugs
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.